Big Penalties As AFL Ends Tippett, Crows Saga

Big Kurt Tippett will miss half of the 2013 season after being found guilty of salary cap breaches.

The AFL has finally ended the salary cap breach charges laid against the Adelaide Crows by fining the club $300,000 and suspending the soon departing Kurt Tippett for 11 games.

After nine-hours of adjudicating, the AFL Commission decided to punish the Crows and Tippett for a secret deal arranged between club and player. The Crows and Tippett agreed to an unwritten clause in his previous contract that arranged to see him sent to the club of his choice at the end of 2012 and pay him an additional $200,000 over the 2011-12 seasons outside of the league’s salary cap restrictions.

Tippett, who is expected to be picked up by Sydney in the pre-season draft on December 11, also received a fine of $50,000. Although Tippett was suspended for the entire 2012 season, 11 of the 22 home and away games have been suspended for five years.

Tippett has laid the blame entirely on his soon to be former club, saying he knew nothing about the secret arrangement. He said in a statement that he pleaded guilty "without any admission of liability" and that the Crows are entirely to blame.

Tippett’s indifferent 2012 season wasn’t a major a turnoff for a number of clubs; the big goal kicking forward has been pursued by clubs including both Sydney and Greater Western Sydney.

Adelaide voluntarily gave up their first two draft picks in this year’s draft, but further lost participation in the first two rounds of next year’s draft as well. Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg and former football manager John Reid didn’t escape punishment; both copped $50,000 fines from all AFL ‘function’ (matches and training) for 12 months, however six months of each sentence was suspended for five years.